Improvement in rotary steam-engines



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eEoEeE s. EoLLENsBEE, 0E PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIcNoEe Tov IIIMsELE- AND.- JOHN nosENcEANTZ; O F SAME PLAGE.

Letters Patent No. 110,350, dated December 20, 187i).

IMPROVEMENT- IN ROTARY ST-EAM-ENGINES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

I, GEORGE SroREs FOLLENSBEE, of- Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented-an Improvement in Rotary Steam-Engines, of which the following is a specitcation.

"' Nature and Object of the Invention.

My invention relates vto an improvement in that.

class of rotary engines in which a pressure of steam is caused to act upon and revolve two cog-wheels, geared together within a. closed cylinder; and

rlhe improvement consists of an arrangement of steam and exhaust-ports or passages, anda valve, by which, as hereafter described, steam can be caused to enter the cylinder either above or below the co'gwheels, and thus impart either a direct or 1 everse movement to the same. In the accompanying drawing- The ligure represents a sectional elevation of a rotary steam-engine with my improvement.y

, Generali Description.

e represents a short cylinder, resting upon-a suitable b ase, a,and having a fixed and a detachable head, between and in contact with the inner ground surfaces of which revolve two cog-wheels, B and B', these cog-wheels being geared together within the cylinder, and being ijxed to spindles D and D, which revolve in closed bearings formed inthe cylinderheads, one end only of the spindle D. extending through a stutlng-box in one of the heads, andbeing connected by any suitable system of 'gearing with an adjacent machine or line of shafting.

Two segmental bearing-slufaces or blocks, E E, concentric with and in contact with the teeth oi the the wheels B and B', are arranged within the cylinder in such a manner that they can be adjusted or set up by set-screws or otherwise, when worn away by the action of the teeth.

The latter are so accuratelyformed that they will always be in steam-tight contact at the points where they gear into eachother, and will thus prevent leakage between the two wheels' Y 1 Thus far the engine is precisely similar to that for which application for Letters Patent was made by, me on the 21st day of April, A. D. 1870, which engine was operated by admitting steam through an opening in the top ofV the cylinder between the segmental bearings, the pressure of the steamv acting lupon and revolving the cog-wheels in the direction indicated bythe arrows in the drawing, and th steam, after having performed its duty, passing off through an exhaust-opening at the bottom of the cylinder..

I have ascertained since, in practically testing this' engine, that by admitting the steam'at the bottom instead of at the top of the cylinder, a reverse motion of the cog-wheels can be obtained, and my pres-` ent improvement consists of an arrangement of steam andexhaust-passages, and of a valve by which, as I will now proceed to describe, the steam can be caused to enter the cylinder either above or below the wheels, and thus produce either a direct or reverse motion-ot' the engine.

Instead of a simple opening at the top and bottom of the cylinder for the admission and escape of the steam thereA are two passages or channels, lb and b',

the former of which establishes a communication between the interior of the cylinder above the wheels and a steam-chest, F, secured to the top of said cylinder, while the latter extends entirely around and, through one side of the cylinder, and forms a 'commnnication between thebottom of the same and the steam-chest.

An` exhaust-opening, o, communicates with the steam-chest between the two ports, and a slide-valve, H, of ordinary construction, contained within the steam-chest and operated by a lever, x, or otherwise, is arranged to cover the passage b and the exhaust when at the limit of its movement in one direction, and to similarly cover the Aexhaustvand passage b when at the limit of .its movement in the opposite direction. Y

It will be readily understood without further description that,.when the parts are in the position illustrated in the drawing, and steam is caused to enter the steam-chest through the pipe r, it will pass through the channel b'into the cylinder, cause the cog-wheels to revolve in the direction indicated by the arrows, return through the passage bi', and pass beneath the valve'H into the exhaust-opening c.

It will also be understood that when th'e valve is move to such-a posit-ion as to cover the passage b and the exhaust, the live steam will pass downward through the channel b', enter the bottom of the cylinder, reverse the motion ofthe wheels, and be nally exhausted through the passages b ando.

C'latm. K I

In an engine consisting of acase containing two cog-wheels, B B', arranged/to operate asl described, ports b b c and a valve, H, arranged and operating as set forth.

In. testimony whereof I have signed my name to" this specicaton in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEO. S. FOLLENSBEEL Witnesses:

WM. A. STEEL, HARRY SMITH. 

